Electric fan



C. E. JONES March 31, 1953 ELECTRIC FAN Filed Dec. 2, 1943 INVJE'NTOR. C/zarZagZJmza5 Y @MMWW Patented Mar. 31, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ELECTRIC FAN Charles E. Jones, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Charles E. Jones and Associates, Inc., Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application December 2, 1948, Serial No. 63,045

.2 Claims. (01. 230-259;)

This invention is concerned with improvements in an electric fan.

It is a general object of the invention to provide an electric fan which is compact, efficient and readily transported or stored in a comparatively small space; which is constructed of a relatively small number of easily made parts requiring a minimum of time and labor for assembly and disassembly with resulting economy in manufacture and repair.

It is a more specific object of the invention to provide a compact, readily portable electric fan which comprises a cage-like streamlined casing formed of light metal, molded plastic or similar material and amotor driven fan blade arranged therein so that there are no parts thereof projecting any appreciable distance outside of the casing.

It is a further object of the invention to provide an electric fan of the type described wherein the motor is mounted wholly within the casing and the fan blade comprises a hollow hub portion secured to the motor shaft so as to partially encompass the body of the motor without projecting appreciably beyond the outer surface of the casing.

It is a, still further object of the invention to provide a, portable electric fan having a streamlined casing and a collapsible stand therefor which is pivotally connected to the casing and which is adapted to support the fan at any desired angle to the vertical, the casing and the stand being provided with cooperating recesses or groove formations for the conduit or cord for supplying current to the fan motor when the cord is in a non-use condition in which it is wrapped around the casing.

These and other objects of the invention will be apparent from a consideration of the fan construction which is shown by way of illustration in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a front view of a fan which incorporates the principles of the invention, with the stand arranged to position the casing in vertical relation to a supporting surface;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the fan;

Fig. 3 is a section taken generally on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1, to an enlarged scale;

Fig. 4 is a side elevation similar to Fig. 2 but with the stand arranged to position the casing in horizontal relation to a supporting surface; and

Fig. 5 is a partial front view of the fan with the cord wrapped around the casing and confined by the supporting stand members which are in collapsed condition.

Referring to the drawings, there is illustrated an electric fan construction which incorporates the principal features of the invention.

The casing it comprises two separable complementary parts or sections II and 12 which are generally circular and which provide a housing for the motor and the fan blade when they are secured together in assembled relation.

The casing part H constitutes the front of the fan and is provided over the major portion of its area with a disk-like grid structure 13 of any desired pattern having a slightly curved outer surface. The grid structure [3 is provided with a relatively large central aperture 14 and is surrounded by an inwardly curved rim portion it which is preferably imperforate but which may be slotted or ,apertured if desired. The rim portion I5 is provided at the top edge with an integral thickened handle forming portion I 6 separated therefrom .by a slot ll of suflicient width to accommodate the fingers when the fan is being carried about.

The casing part 12 constitutes the back of the fan and is provided with agrid structure l8 hav-- ing a central aperture l9 and a surrounding rim 20 is preferably portion 20. The rim portion provided with elongate apertures or slots 2| around its major portion and at its a thickened handle forming portion 22 separated therefrom by a slot 23.

The handle forming portions I 6 and 22 and the slots I! and 23 are aligned when the cas ng parts H and I2 are in assembled relation. A

connecting bolt 24 is provided for securing the handle portions l6 and 22 together and at the opposite side or bottom of the casing the parts 26 and secured so that it extends wholly within the housing formed between casing sections H and 12. A

fan blade construction 32 is provided having a relatively large central hub member 33. The hub 33 is recessed internally and provided with a socket forming portion 34 adapted to receive the shaft 35 of the motor 30 and to be secured thereto by a set screw 36. The hub 33 when secured in position on the motor shaft 35 partially encompasses the motor 30 and the fan blades 31 extend radially from adjacent the inner edge of the hub 33. The front face 38 of the hub 33 is rounded to conform generally to the surface of top edge with j 3 the casing section H and may extend slightly through the central aperture l4 of the latter.

A stand or supporting frame structure 39 is provided for the casing which comprises two generally U-shaped members 40 and 4|. The legs of the stand members 46 and 4| are apertured at the ends to receive clamping bolts 42 each of which is provided with a knurled head 43. The bolts 42 extend through the ends of the members 4|! and 4| (Fig. and through an apertured boss provided on one of the casing members H and |2, engaging in screw-threaded relation with a small plate member 44 embedded or otherwise secured within the casing section so that the stand members 4|! and 4| may be clamped in adjusted position relative to the casing ID. The stand members 46 and 4| are provided on the ends of their legs with complementary abutments or stops 45 and 46 which limit their outward movement to a tripod or open supporting position as shown in Figs. 2 and 4. The bight portions of the members 4|] and 4| are preferably provided with resilient feet 41 of rubber or similar material to prevent marring of the surface on which the fan may be located when in use. The stand members 46 and 4| may be spread apart in casing supporting position and locked by the clamping bolts 42 to the easing ID with the casing H1 in vertical position as in Fig. 2, in horizontal position as in Fig. 4 or in any intermediate angular position. The fan may be readily moved to any desired location even while it is in operation without danger to the fingers by means of the handle formed by portions l6 and 22.

The casing i0 is provided with groove-like formations 48 at opposite sides thereof below the pivot bolts 42 and the stand members 40 and 4| are provided with complementary grooves 49 for confining the connecting cord 50 when it is wrapped around the casing Hi and the stand members 46 and 4| are collapsed and positioned in the plane of the casing N) (Fig. 5) for storage or shipment. When the stand is collapsed the fan may be easily packed in a small space, as for example, in a piece of luggage without injuring or soiling adjacent articles thereby facilitating its use by traveling people and others.

While specific materials and details of construction have been referred to in describing the illustrated device, it will be understood that other materials and other details of construction may be-resorted to within the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. A portable electric fan comprising a casing, a motor having a driven shaft and a fan blade secured to the shaft, said motor and fan blade being enclosed within said casing, said casing comprising complementary sections each having a central grid-like formation and inwardly directed rim portions, means mounting said motor centrally of one of said casing sections, said casing sections being secured together at the rims and said rims having portions provided with aligned apertures defining an integral handle formation, a collapsible stand for said casing, said stand comprising a pair of generally U-shaped members and adjustable clamping means pivotally connecting the outer ends of the legs of said U-shaped members to each other and to opposite rim portions of said casing sections, said casing sections having edge portions extending in close proximity to the legs of said stand members and said casing edge portions and the legs of said stand members being provided with cooperating groove formations for confining therein a current conducting cord in wrappedaround relation on said casing when said U-shaped members are in collapsed position with the legs extending adjacent said casin edge portions.

2. A portable electric fan comprising a casing, said casing comprising two relatively shallow complementary sections each having a central grid-like formation and inwardly directed edge portions, the casing sections being secured together at the edges, a collapsible stand for said casing, said stand comprising a pair of generally 1 U-shaped members, and adjustable clamping means pivotally connecting the outer ends of the j legs of said U-shaped members at opposite sides of said casing sections, said casing sections having peripheral edge portions in close proximity to the legs of said stand when the latter is in collapsed condition and said edge portions and said legs being provided with cooperating grooves for confining therein a current conducting cord in wrapped-around relation on said casing.

CHARLES E. JONES.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date D. 90,588 Matthews Aug. 29, 1933 D. 145,025 Hutcheson June 18, 1948 1,996,195 Ferguson Apr. 2, 1935 2,001,151 Newnham May 14, 1935 2,056,547 Weber Oct. 6, 1936 2,07 3,868 Flodeland Mar. 16, 1937 2,345,516 Weber Mar. 28, 1944 2,453,009 Ganger et al Nov. 2, 1948 

